Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Ezekiel 23:17
And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
17. alienated from them ] The figure lies in the revulsion of sated passion; the thing in the weariness of the Babylonian alliance and yoke, cf. ch. 17.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
After Josiahs death and the usurpation of dominion by the Egyptians, the Babylonians were no doubt welcomed as friends 2Ki 24:1. But the Jews were soon tired of their alliance and disgusted with their friends, and this led to the rebellion of Jehoiakim and the first captivity.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
The Babylonians came: the prophet prosecuteth the allegory; the adulteress sent, and invited, and here the Chaldeans comply with it, they came, ambassadors no doubt first to make a confederacy, and then free intercourse in trade, and religion too.
The bed of love; so the impudently lascivious call the polluted, forbidden bed, as the harlot, Pro 7:18. It is like with this commerce and confederacy the lustful Babylonians did spread that disease, the Jewish nation were too much inclined to corporal adulteries and fornications; but metaphorically it is a delightful communicating with them in their idolatry in their idol temples and feasts.
Defiled her; made her unclean and loathsome.
Whoredom; spiritual and corporal.
Polluted; greatly defiled, as the doubling the expression imports. Her mind was alienated from them; like an arrant adulteress, wearied, but not satisfied with her adulterers, she changeth mind and friendships, and seeks new ones. So did this people, weary of the Chaldeans, seek new confederates.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
17. alienated from themnamely,from the Chaldeans: turning again to the Egyptians (Eze23:19), trying by their help to throw off her solemn engagementsto Babylon (compare Jer 37:5;Jer 37:7; 2Ki 24:7).
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Babylonians came to her in the bed of love,…. Entered into alliance with the Jews, and worshipped together in the same idols’ temple. Jarchi thinks this refers to the messengers of the king of Babylon to Hezekiah; who were gladly received by him, and to whom he showed all the treasures of his house:
and they defiled her with their whoredom; or with their idols, as the Targum; they drew them into their idolatrous practices; which were defiling them, and by which they were corrupted from the simplicity of the true worship of God:
and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them: or “plucked”, or “disjoined from them” y; the Chaldeans, broke league and covenant with them, hating them as much as before they doted upon them; this was done in the times of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, who rebelled against the king of Babylon, 2Ki 24:1 as it often is the case with lewd women, when they have satisfied their lust with their gallants, loath and despise them, and cast them off.
y “avulsa est”, Munster; “et luxata est anima ipsius ab eis”, Junius & Tremellius, Polanus.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) Her mind was alienated.The original implies the disgust of satiety. Josiah had been the devoted friend of Babylon, and perished in his zeal on its behalf. Judah was then made a dependency of Egypt, and turned for aid to Babylon. Then receiving in turn the yoke of Babylon, she became impatient, and sought the aid of Egypt. This vacillating policy is described in Eze. 23:17-19, and at either, turn was so entirely wanting in sole reliance upon God as to produce the effect of Eze. 23:18 : My mind was alienated from her.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
17. Her mind was alienated from them This occurred after her passion was satisfied (compare 2Sa 13:15), and she began to feel the weight of the heavy hand of her Babylonian lovers and to long for release; but it was too late to return without bitter repentance to her true husband, for his mind had also become alienated from her (Eze 23:18).
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
“And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love. And they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her soul was alienated from them.”
The relationship had developed into an adulterous one. Jerusalem became wrapped up in Babylonian culture and religion and was thus further defiled. The point here is that Jerusalem had not been dragged screaming into dependence on Babylon but had openly embraced it. They had no one to blame but themselves. But the demands made also became excessive and resulted in alienation. It was a love-hate relationship. It was this alienation that would eventually destroy her.
Fuente: Commentary Series on the Bible by Peter Pett
Eze 23:17 And the Babylonians came to her into the bed of love, and they defiled her with their whoredom, and she was polluted with them, and her mind was alienated from them.
Ver. 17. Into the bed of love. ] Or, Of breasts, which are the symbols of love and seats of delight, as naturalists note. See Pro 6:19 ; Pro 7:18 .
And her mind was alienated from them. mind = Hebrew. nephesh. App-18,
Babylonians: Heb. children of Babel, Gen 10:10, Gen 11:9
and her: Eze 23:22, Eze 23:28, Eze 16:37, 2Sa 13:15
alienated: Heb. loosed, or disjointed
Reciprocal: 2Ki 16:10 – saw an altar Isa 57:7 – General Eze 23:30 – because thou art Hos 2:5 – I will
Eze 23:17. Such an attitude would be sure to interest men already disposed toward such indulgencies. They accepted the invitation and came to her and committed adultery with her. In actual practice it means the heathen nations would be glad t.o ,ioin with the people of Palestine in idolatrous practices.
Eze 23:17-20. And the Babylonians came to her, &c. The metaphor of representing idolatry by the inordinate lust of adultery is still carried on. And her mind was alienated from them She quickly grew weary of these also, as lewd women are of their former gallants, and look out for new ones. She broke her league and covenant with them, as St. Jerome very well expresses the sense; meaning that covenant which Jehoiakim made with Nebuchadnezzar to be his tributary, and which was afterward renewed by Zedekiah. So she discovered, or, after she discovered, her whoredoms The sense being still continued with the foregoing verse. The meaning is, She was open and notorious in her lewd practices, and in the highest degree shameless. Then my mind was alienated from her As she, by her idolatries, had broken all the bonds of duty and allegiance whereby she was engaged to me, a sin often compared to a wifes disloyalty toward her husband, so I withdrew my love and affection from her, and resolved to give her a bill of divorce, as the Prophet Jeremiah expresses it, and not own her any more as mine, as I had cast off her sister Samaria. Yet she multiplied, &c. Though she was fond of new idolatries, she did not forget her old ones, even those which she had learned in Egypt. For she doted upon their paramours Upon the idols of Egypt, and the impure rites which accompanied their idolatrous worship. This may relate to the time when Zedekiah entered into a new confederacy with Egypt, which made the people fond of admitting the Egyptian idolatries. Whose flesh, &c. These expressions seem to be made use of, to signify the excess of the Egyptian idolatry. They may likewise metaphorically express the great power and riches of the Egyptians, which made the Jewish people fond of courting their friendship and alliance.
The Babylonians responded to her invitations and came to Judea where they polluted her by entering into treaties with her. After she became a vassal of Babylon, she became disgusted with the Babylonians and turned away to seek help from Egypt (cf. Jer 2:18; Jer 6:8; Jer 37:5-7; Lam 4:17). The Lord also became disgusted with her, as He had with her sister. Nevertheless she persisted in her immoral conduct that she had learned in Egypt. She lusted after the Egyptians that pursued her like donkeys and horses in heat (cf. Jer 2:24; Jer 5:8; Jer 13:27). Donkeys and horses were proverbial for their strong sexual drive (cf. Jer 2:24; Jer 5:8; Jer 13:27), and the Lord used these animals as a figure for the Egyptians’ potency that attracted the Israelites. [Note: Keil, 1:327-28.] Jerusalem returned to her old lover, namely, Egypt.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Expository Notes of Dr. Constable (Old and New Testaments)